Which Is The Best KitchenAid Mixer for Me?

How do I know which is the best KitchenAid mixer for me? That’s a question I hear a lot, and it’s no wonder people are confused. At last count, there were over a dozen impressive models to choose from, distributed across three series: the Classic, the Artisan and the Professional.

But there’s more. Each mixer series sports varying features to suit a specific range of cooking requirements perfectly. To make matters worse, each model comes in its own array of colors.

Since it’s highly unlikely that KitchenAid created so many stand mixer models just to confuse people, let’s compare KitchenAid mixers in order to help you narrow down the best stand mixer for your particular needs.

Professional Series Exclusive Features

KitchenAid Classic Series

The Classic series sports a tilt-head stand design with a non-hinged hub cover, providing easy access to both bowl and beater accessories. Its 4.5-quart bowl has an 8-cup Flour Power rating, meaning you can mix up to 8 cups of flour in each batch.

The Classic and Classic Plus each come in two colors only. For a splash of color, go for the KitchenAid Classic Ultra Power which now sports over a dozen colors!

The Classic is the best standup appliance for the occasional baker who deals with small quantities.

KitchenAid Artisan Series

Like the Classic, Artisan series have a tilt-head design with non-hinged hub cover. With a bowl capacity of 5 quarts, the Artisan range provides a slightly higher performance than the Classic with a Flour Power rating of 9 cups.

The newly introduced Artisan Mini Series has seen its bowl downsized to 3.5 quarts.

Artisan mixers are equipped with 325-watt down to 250-watt motors and a generous or scanty color wardrobe depending on model:

250-watt Motor
KSM3311X Artisan Mini – 10 colors
The Artisan is the best KitchenAid mixer if you enjoy baking on a regular basis for a few people. But if counter space is at a premium, the Artisan Mini is the best standup mixer for tight spaces!

KitchenAid Professional Series

Wondering which is the best KitchenAid mixer for handling heavy dough? Here are the two main reasons why the Professional is top of the class for the task.

Professional models feature a bowl-lift design with a hinged hub cover. This type of design is especially useful when adding multiple ingredients into the bowl. The bowl-lift design also gives you a bowl with a wider mouth for easier access. On the minus side, this design also forces you to remove the bowl every time you want to take a mixing paddle off which some might find annoying.

As seen below, bowl sizes vary from 5 to 8 quarts. The Professional 6000 HD’s tulip-shaped bowl will only accommodate the accessories sold with this small appliance.

More importantly, what each of these appliances can accomplish will vary significantly based on the motor they are equipped with.

If you need a mixer that can efficiently power through heavy, dense mixtures or do a lot of baking, look no further than the Professional series.

All Professional stand mixers will do a good job dealing with a fair amount of dough, but mixers built with more powerful DC (direct current) motors are more durable and energy efficient and are equipped to power through heavier doughs.

Best KitchenAid Mixers for Serious Bakers

For heavy bakers, three mixers stand out as ‘powerhouses’ of the KitchenAid stable:

The 6-Quart Professional 6000 HD (KSM6573C) with 1.0 hp High Efficiency DC motor has earned the moniker “The Beast” from an enthusiastic owner and deemed more quiet than the Professional 600. Its tulip-shaped bowl makes it easier to add ingredients.

The 7-Quart Pro Line Series (KSM7586) with 1.3 hp High Efficiency DC motor is by the manufacturer’s own account “…our longest lasting and most efficient motor yet.” Enough said.

Looking for the best mixing appliance for your home bakery? KitchenAid’s 8-quart NSF Commercial mixers KSM8990 (with guard) & KSMC895 (without guard) come with all the bells and whistles guaranteed to get the job done.

KitchenAid Mixer Attachments

Here’s a true game changer which can easily be argued turns these small appliances into the best stand mixers you can find: KitchenAid mixers incorporate a hub which lets you extend the versatility of this already brilliant countertop appliance to stratospheric levels simply by adding any one of their ever expanding line of attachments.

Which KitchenAid Mixer Is The Best?

You are more likely to select the right appliance if you focus on the following crucial features:

Motor Power

The higher the power, the easier it will be for your mixer to handle heavy bread or pizza dough.

Bowl

A larger bowl will come in handy if you are likely to double or triple recipes on a regular basis. Also, remember that the Classic’s bowl will be harder to maneuver as it does not have a handle.

Weight

Something to keep in mind if you have to carry the beast back and forth from storage.

Accessories

If you are going to mix a lot of heavy dough, you might want to consider a spiral dough hook, as well as a stronger motor. And for those of you who hate hand washing, keep in mind that nylon-coated accessories are dishwasher safe, not so burnished metal ones.

What is the best KitchenAid Mixer for My Needs?

Shopping for a stand mixer can be overwhelming. There are many reasons why KitchenAid mixers are some of the best rated kitchen appliances out there.
Buying a KitchenAid mixer is truly an investment, specially when you consider the hub feature which makes it possible to expand the scope of these mixers to ice cream and pasta makers, grinders, spiralizers, fruit and vegetable strainers, citrus juicers and so much more.
When trying to decide on the best small appliance for your mixing needs, fixating on price or color may do you a disservice. Try instead to concentrate on the tasks you will require your new mixer to accomplish, as well as the quantities you are most likely to use.

If cost is higher than you expected, you might be better off postponing your purchase for a little while rather than compromising and getting a ‘little sous-chef’ that can’t meet your expectations.

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Mealtimes became annoying interruptions as visions of cooking lessons in Italy or the South of France gave way to an obsession with my computer. That’s when I put ‘my little chefs’ to work, drastically cutting down on prep time without sacrificing quality. Et voilà – problem solved! 😉

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